Epping Forest

Epping Forest District sits in the county of Essex, immediately north-east of Greater London. The district centre is the market town of Epping; other towns and villages include Loughton, Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey and North Weald Bassett. Much of the district is crossed by the ancient woodland known as Epping Forest, and several Central line stations — Epping, Theydon Bois, Debden and Loughton — link local communities with London. Local government services are administered from Epping by Epping Forest District Council and the district contains a mix of town centres, village high streets and open fields protected by the metropolitan green belt.

History and infrastructure are both visible across the district. Loughton Camp, an Iron Age earthwork, sits within the forest and traces of former industries remain at the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey, beside the River Lea. North Weald Airfield records the area’s 20th-century aviation history and remains in local use. Conservation areas, commons and parish churches mark settlement patterns, while commuter routes and local businesses form the modern local economy.